LATAM Airlines Just Appointed APG as Its Agent in Greece and Turkey — Here is What It Means for South America-Europe Travel

As demand for transcontinental travel surges in the second quarter of 2026, Latin America's largest carrier is establishing a critical new foothold in Southeast Europe and Western Asia, bridging the Andes with the Aegean.

Quick Summary

• LATAM Airlines has officially appointed APG as its General Sales Agent (GSA) in Greece and Turkey.
• The partnership establishes dedicated local aviation experts in Athens and Istanbul to manage the booming travel corridor.
• The move targets the "honeymoon corridor" (Santorini and Istanbul), agricultural/energy business travel, and the Greek diaspora in Brazil.
• Passengers will seamlessly connect through LATAM's established European gateways in Madrid, Barcelona, and London.

The commercial aviation bridge between South America and the Mediterranean has just received a major structural upgrade. LATAM Airlines, the leading carrier in Latin America, has officially appointed global airline distribution leader APG as its General Sales Agent (GSA) in Greece and Turkey. Moving into the second quarter of 2026, the strategic agreement is designed to capture surging passenger demand across Southeast Europe and Western Asia, making travel between the two continents more accessible, efficient, and locally managed than ever before.

By partnering with APG — a network operating in over 170 countries — LATAM is bypassing the need to open massive physical offices in new territories. Instead, the airline is instantly deploying local experts in Athens and Istanbul to handle reservations, corporate bookings, and travel agency relations, ensuring that LATAM becomes the default carrier for travelers moving between these dynamic regions.

THE GREECE-TURKEY CORRIDOR: WHY NOW?

The appointment is a direct response to record-high travel flows between South America and the Mediterranean in 2026. The demand is being driven by three distinct passenger segments:

• The "Honeymoon" Corridor: Destinations like Santorini in Greece and Istanbul in Turkey have become top-tier leisure choices for wedding travelers originating from Brazil and Argentina.
• Cultural Synergy & Leisure Adventure: There is high reciprocal tourism, with Mediterranean travelers increasingly seeking bucket-list South American experiences like trekking the Inca Trail in Peru or exploring the salt flats of Bolivia.
• The Business Bridge: Emerging cross-continental trade links, particularly in the agricultural and energy sectors, have created a strict requirement for consistent, reliable corporate air connectivity.

To serve this traffic, LATAM will funnel Greek and Turkish passengers through its primary European connecting gateways: Madrid, Barcelona, and London, providing seamless onward connections to its vast South American network.

HOW APG'S INFRASTRUCTURE CHANGES THE BOOKING EXPERIENCE

For the average passenger, a GSA might sound like back-office jargon, but it fundamentally dictates how easy a flight is to book and manage. For a Turkish adventurer or the large Greek diaspora living in Brazil, the APG appointment ensures their bookings are managed by local teams who speak the language and understand regional travel requirements.

APG brings a highly sophisticated digital and physical infrastructure to the LATAM partnership, focusing on three operational pillars for 2026:

• Localized Marketing: APG will tailor LATAM's premium offerings, including its award-winning Business Class, to the specific preferences of the Greek and Turkish markets.
• 24/7 Trade Support: Local travel agents in Athens and Istanbul now have round-the-clock support to guarantee 100% accuracy when booking complex, multi-city itineraries across the South American continent.
• AI-Driven Revenue Management: APG will utilize advanced data analytics to optimize flight capacity, keeping ticket prices competitive for the consumer while protecting the airline's profitability.

THE NEW ISTANBUL AIRPORT AND SUSTAINABILITY GOALS

The strategic focus on Turkey carries massive network implications. As the New Istanbul Airport continues its rapid growth as a global aviation "super-hub," LATAM's strengthened presence in the Turkish market allows the carrier to intercept connecting passengers arriving from across the Middle East and Central Asia who are seeking the most efficient routing to Latin America.

Furthermore, the APG partnership directly supports LATAM's 2026 sustainability targets. By utilizing APG's sales optimization tools, LATAM aims to achieve higher "load factors" — ensuring fewer empty seats on its transatlantic long-haul flights. In modern aviation economics, maximizing the efficiency of every seat flown is one of the most immediate ways to reduce per-passenger carbon output.

CONCLUSION: SHRINKING THE DISTANCE

The appointment of APG as LATAM's GSA in Greece and Turkey proves that in 2026, an airline's global reach is dictated by the strength of its local relationships. By establishing dedicated teams in Athens and Istanbul, LATAM is removing the friction of distance, ensuring that a flight from the Aegean to São Paulo or Santiago feels as seamless as a short European hop. As the first bookings under this new agreement begin to process, the strategic bridge between the Mediterranean and South America has never been stronger.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• LATAM Airlines has appointed APG as its General Sales Agent (GSA) for Greece and Turkey.
• The partnership places local airline distribution experts directly in Athens and Istanbul.
• LATAM will route this new passenger traffic through its major European gateways: Madrid, Barcelona, and London.
• The route targets three markets: the Santorini/Istanbul "honeymoon" corridor, cultural tourism (e.g., Peru's Inca Trail, Bolivia's salt flats), and agricultural/energy business travel.
• APG's presence in over 170 countries provides LATAM with localized marketing, 24/7 travel agent support, and AI-driven revenue management.
• The strategy leverages the New Istanbul Airport to capture transit passengers from the Middle East and Central Asia heading to Latin America.
• By optimizing sales to achieve higher passenger load factors, the partnership aligns with LATAM's 2026 sustainability goals.